Objective: To understand patient perceptions of p.r.n. medication for agitation used in institutional settings.
Method: A questionnaire was administered to child and adolescent psychiatric inpatients within 12 hours of their receiving p.r.n. medication for agitation and repeated 4 hours later. Research staff completed a form to rate each patient's comprehension and behavior in completing the questionnaire.
Results: Forty-two patients completed the survey: 38 males and 4 females, aged 7 to 17 years (mean age 12.19 years, median age 12 years). Patients requested the p.r.n. medication in 30% of episodes and assisted with the decision in an additional 10%. The p.r.n. was perceived for loss of control in more than half the cases. About 50% of the youngsters felt that the p.r.n. they received was the "best" for them. Only 30% answered that "something" could have been done by themselves or by staff to avoid requiring a p.r.n. medication. About 65% felt that "something good" happened from receiving the medication. The test-retest reliability of all but one question by kappa statistic was p <or=.001.
Conclusions: Hospitalized children and adolescents perceive p.r.n. medication as useful. The instrument used allows them to share their views in a reliable manner.